This chicken noodle stir fry dish is refreshing, spicy and bursting with exciting flavors from fresh ginger, cilantro, lime zest, sesame and a chili pepper. The preparation is simple, you whisk your ingredients together, then use half to marinate the chicken and the remaining half as the stir fry sauce.
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Why make this recipe?
This is an incredibly fresh, delicious and saucy noodle stir fry that’s full of vibrant flavors. The flavor combination of lime zest, fresh ginger and cilantro works together phenomenally well. At the same time, all ingredients are widely available in grocery stores and no trip to specialty stores is required.
Ingredients needed:
Fresh produce ingredients:
Pantry and refrigerator ingredients:
Ingredient notes & substitutions:
- You can substitute soba noodles if hokkien are not available.
- If Fresno chili pepper is not available, you can substitute 1 jalapeno pepper.
- The insides of a Fresno chili pepper are quite spicy. Wash your hands well after handling the ribs and seeds of the pepper or wear disposable gloves.
How to make it:
See full ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below!
Step 1. Add garlic, chili pepper, cilantro, lime zest, ginger, sesame oil and seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (If you don’t have one, use another container with a spout that you can easily pour out of.) Stir together until well combined.
Step 2. Pour half of the mix into a bowl, add the chicken to the bowl, cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. The remaining half of the sauce that’s still in the cup will become the stir fry sauce, so you can cover and transfer that to the fridge as well.
Step 3. Take the chicken out of the fridge and drain into a colander. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and fry the chicken in two batches. (Wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel in between batches.) Once the chicken is cooked through and browned on the edges, take it out and set aside.
Step 4. Wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel again, then add the broccoli florets to it. Pour in ½ cup of water and boil uncovered, stirring the broccoli around a few times. When all the water has evaporated, the broccoli will be done.
Step 5. Add the chicken back into the pan, then add the noodles.
Step 6. Whisk the corn starch into the stir fry sauce, pour into the pan and bring the sauce to a full boil, then take off the heat.
Frequently asked questions:
Sprinkle the stir fry with chopped fresh mint leaves and serve immediately.
I don’t recommend storing this dish. It is best right after it’s been prepared and does not re-heat very well.
The level of spiciness of this stir fry is determined by the Fresno chili pepper. If you remove all seeds and ribs of the pepper, this dish is mildly spicy. If you want to make it moderately or very spicy, leave some of the ribs of the pepper on. This post has a detailed chart with photos that show how many ribs and seeds yield what level of spiciness.
More Asian-inspired recipes:
Did you make this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Full Printable Recipe
Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced, most of the ribs and seeds removed*
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon lime zest (about 1 small lime)
- ¼ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 12 ounces chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-sized pieces and tendons removed (about 5 tenderloins)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
- 12 small broccoli florets
- 14 ounces cooked hokkien noodles**
- ¼ teaspoon corn starch
- 20 fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup mix garlic, chili pepper, cilantro, lime zest, ginger, sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey together.
- Pour half of the mix into a bowl, add the chicken pieces to the bowl, cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cover and transfer the remaining half of the sauce that's still in the liquid measuring cup to the fridge as well. (This will become the stir fry sauce.)
- Drain the chicken into a colander, discarding the marinade it was in.
- Fry the chicken in two batches: heat half of the oil in a non-stick pan on high heat until shimmering, then fry half of the chicken until cooked through and starting to brown on the edges. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside. Wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel to remove any burned bits from it, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel again, then add the broccoli to it. Pour in ½ cup of cold water, bring to a boil and boil uncovered until all the water has evaporated, stirring the broccoli around a few times.
- Add the chicken back to the pan.
- Add the noodles to the pan.
- Whisk the corn starch into the sauce mix that's still in the liquid measuring cup and pour into the pan.
- Bring the sauce to a full boil, then take off the heat.
- Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves and serve immediately.
Adina
What a simple and beautiful dish! It makes me hungry and it is not even time for lunch. :)
Nicole B.
Thank you, Adina! (:
Easyfoodsmith
The stir fry looks so tempting and so delicous.
Nicole B.
Thank you so much, Taruna! Hope you’re having a great weekend. :)
Kelly | Foodtasia
Nicole, I love noodle stir fry and this looks just delicious! The flavors sound amazing. Definitely will be trying this soon!
Nicole B.
Thank you so much, Kelly! It’s one of my favorite recipes, I love the flavors. :)
lindsay
Um, wow, can i just dive right in? Love the lighting
Nicole B.
Please dive right in, Lindsay! :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Nicole, the flavors sound incredible in this stir fry. I love the addition of the lime. Gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing!
Nicole B.
Thank you so much, Mary Ann! The lime adds some nice freshness here, which I really liked. :)
mila furman
Wow Nicole…I so love this. This is like my type of noodle dish! I love the combination of lime and noodles! Super delicious looking!
Nicole B.
Thank you, Mila! The lime zest is definitely my favorite part here too. :)
Caroline @ Shrinking Single
This is my kind of dinner. Easy to make but packed with flavour. Love noodles and you make them look so deliciously good.
Nicole B.
Thank you, Caroline! I love this kind of dinner, too. :)
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
Stirfry can sometimes feel heavy and I love how you brightened it up with that lime! Delish :)
Nicole B.
Yeah, it’s really light and refreshing. Thank you, Medha! :)
Jyothi - Currytrail.in
It’s amazing to see how you that a simple stir fry noodles and make it look so gorgeous! LOVE your work, I learn a lot from a pics Nicole,
Nicole B.
I love to hear that, Jyothi, thank you! <3